Flower Weed wreaking havoc on my short term memory

[Hilopsilo]

I've always been a semi-regular weed smoker, but since ~January 2019, I've been smoking every day. Not a lot, about .3g per day. It helps immensely with my depression, awareness, empathy, etc. I'm a musician and I love nothing more than to smoke weed and make music.

The only real issue I've come across is my short term memory has been destroyed. Part of this I think has to do with how weed helps me to focus on a singular task and ignore extraneous stuff in this age of being bombarded with info., but its also just the effects of weed I think. Basically, I can get very focused on a specific task for long periods of time, but on the flip side I'll forget about stuff I need to remember.

Seems to be a common issue, any tips/tricks to deal with it? I notice its not as bad if I skip wake & baking, but I still have trouble keeping track of less-important-but-still-need-to-remember if I don't write EVERYTHING down

 

[w01fg4ng]

On busy days, it's best for me to delay smoking as late as possible. If I get my work done, it's a reward for me at the end of the day and I can enjoy the high a bit better.

Some generic things that help my memory are maintaining a consistent sleep schedule as well as a balanced diet including omega 3 and 6. A basic daily work out also helps improve my cognitive functions.

CBD helps reduce my anxiety which can alleviate memory issues. Sometimes I'll have CBD and coffee if I'm wanting to get really focused without all the stress that sometimes comes with a mentally demanding task.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I've always been a semi-regular weed smoker, but since ~January 2019, I've been smoking every day. Not a lot, about .3g per day. It helps immensely with my depression, awareness, empathy, etc. I'm a musician and I love nothing more than to smoke weed and make music.

The only real issue I've come across is my short term memory has been destroyed. Part of this I think has to do with how weed helps me to focus on a singular task and ignore extraneous stuff in this age of being bombarded with info., but its also just the effects of weed I think. Basically, I can get very focused on a specific task for long periods of time, but on the flip side I'll forget about stuff I need to remember.

Seems to be a common issue, any tips/tricks to deal with it? I notice its not as bad if I skip wake & baking, but I still have trouble keeping track of less-important-but-still-need-to-remember if I don't write EVERYTHING down

There's no such thing as a free lunch mate. If you're waking up and getting wasted straight away, that is the worst way to use it. What people often forget is that cannabis is actually a powerful psychedelic that alters your perception of everything and inhibits new memories from forming. Daily use is just about doable, but all day every day fucks you right up.

 

[G_Chem]

I think it depends on a few things...

How you smoke. When you smoke. What you smoke...

How you smoke. Are you having a few sessions a day or smoking a tiny one hitter every hour and a half? What are you smoking out of? I find better energy and clarity if I smoke more smaller hits than having a few large sessions. Bongs, joints and blunts bring about a stoned feeling that can make one spacey compared to a one hitter.

When you smoke. As you found out wake n bake can set you off for a Stoney day. This is why I absolutely refuse to smoke before work unlike some people. That said if work starts later than usual I’m jonesing for a hit lol.

And the most important! What you smoke. Find a daytime strain that is high in pinene, much better for memory recall and doesn’t get you tired too early.

A few good day time strains I like..

- Sour Tangie
- Sour Diesel
- Mimosa
- Ak-47
- GG#4 (this ones a bit stonier but is still great for day time IMO)

Avoid...

- Most kush strains
- Most purple colored strains, most are Stoney indicas except a few I’ve tried over the years.
- Strains with more of a golden hue. Pick strains that are lighter green. (Often more golden trichromes can represent bud that went longer than normal having some of the THC degrade to CBN and other substances giving a stonier high. Bud picked earlier has a lighter more day time friendly high.)


I’ve smoked daily since I was 16 or so, besides quitting one time for a few months in my 20’s. I use a titanium one hitter with the perfect “bowl” size cuz many hitters are too big. Getting the perfect size to match your lung capacity is key to conserving.

On work days I wait til soon as I’m done, but other than that I’m high 24/7. I even get up periodically at night to smoke lol, some may say it’s bad. But goddamn I love the stuff. Me and my family need it or we become mean sons of bitches.

-GC

 

[Hilopsilo]

On busy days, it's best for me to delay smoking as late as possible. If I get my work done, it's a reward for me at the end of the day and I can enjoy the high a bit better.

Some generic things that help my memory are maintaining a consistent sleep schedule as well as a balanced diet including omega 3 and 6. A basic daily work out also helps improve my cognitive functions.

CBD helps reduce my anxiety which can alleviate memory issues. Sometimes I'll have CBD and coffee if I'm wanting to get really focused without all the stress that sometimes comes with a mentally demanding task.

Ya I've smoked for work a couple times but it doesn't work well. This helps, but I usually smoke by 3pm, maybe I should cut that back a bit later. It is tougher now in these times lol

There's no such thing as a free lunch mate. If you're waking up and getting wasted straight away, that is the worst way to use it. What people often forget is that cannabis is actually a powerful psychedelic that alters your perception of everything and inhibits new memories from forming. Daily use is just about doable, but all day every day fucks you right up.

The only time I really wake & bake is if I'm waking up early on a weekend to work on music all day. My old job which was doing landscaping a wake & bake was really the only way I got through it (who doesn't like gardening on a warm summer morning stoned & alone?). But it doesn't mix will with an office-desk job. Even so, I feel my short term memory has continued to suffer.

I think it depends on a few things...

How you smoke. When you smoke. What you smoke...

How you smoke. Are you having a few sessions a day or smoking a tiny one hitter every hour and a half? What are you smoking out of? I find better energy and clarity if I smoke more smaller hits than having a few large sessions. Bongs, joints and blunts bring about a stoned feeling that can make one spacey compared to a one hitter.

When you smoke. As you found out wake n bake can set you off for a Stoney day. This is why I absolutely refuse to smoke before work unlike some people. That said if work starts later than usual I’m jonesing for a hit lol.

And the most important! What you smoke. Find a daytime strain that is high in pinene, much better for memory recall and doesn’t get you tired too early.

A few good day time strains I like..

- Sour Tangie
- Sour Diesel
- Mimosa
- Ak-47
- GG#4 (this ones a bit stonier but is still great for day time IMO)

Avoid...

- Most kush strains
- Most purple colored strains, most are Stoney indicas except a few I’ve tried over the years.
- Strains with more of a golden hue. Pick strains that are lighter green. (Often more golden trichromes can represent bud that went longer than normal having some of the THC degrade to CBN and other substances giving a stonier high. Bud picked earlier has a lighter more day time friendly high.)


I’ve smoked daily since I was 16 or so, besides quitting one time for a few months in my 20’s. I use a titanium one hitter with the perfect “bowl” size cuz many hitters are too big. Getting the perfect size to match your lung capacity is key to conserving.

On work days I wait til soon as I’m done, but other than that I’m high 24/7. I even get up periodically at night to smoke lol, some may say it’s bad. But goddamn I love the stuff. Me and my family need it or we become mean sons of bitches.

-GC

I mainly smoke by doing 1 hits out of a pipe every now and then, my tolerance is relatively low (has gone up since these times started) but I'm not smashing through nearly as much weed as I know a lot of people do. A heavy day would be smoking a half gram to myself.

Generally, I try to smoke sativa dominant hybrids just for the productivity/creativity. I'll read a bit on pinene.

Yes... it makes me a nicer person, I think before I speak more (but not so much that I'm socially awkward or paranoid), listen more and am generally more insightful/empathetic/observant. But ya, the days just fly by.

I've certainly started jonesing for weed, its usually satisfied by just a single rip if I'm not doing something that I really want to be high for. Just from my own experience and others I know, I feel that in the US after the honeymoon period is over people will realize weed has a lot of more addictive potential than they thought/wanted to think.

A friend of mine who is in a masters program something to do with drugs, showed me a document that is used to define chemical dependency and I can't lie my relationship with weed has begun to tick more boxes on that for sure...

 

[G_Chem]

I completely understand the “think before you speak” bit. When I quit that was the part I couldn’t stand the most. It was like I’d say shit without first proofreading it in my head and I’d often offend people because of it.

Cannabis allows me to properly articulate what I’m going to say so that it comes out right.

I also agree on cannabis’ addictive nature. In my opinion drugs that closely mimic our bodies own systems are drugs we take to like flies to shit. Cannabinoids and opioids come to mind.

That said, it does so much good for me and others I know that I have a hard time talking too much shit. Yes I smoke more frequently than is reasonable but beyond that it doesn’t really fuck with me or give me too many problems.

When I had cancer it kept the tumors from growing nearly as fast as they were. I have horrible nausea/vomiting since I was a kid that it helps with. Helps with my near cluster level migraines. Helps with a lot..

Pinene is a terpene that is said to improve short term memory retention. If you smell any pine/conifer in your weed, that’s pinene.

-GC

 

[Hilopsilo]

It doesn't give me much problems outside of bad short term memory, occasional head pressure/headaches that I attribute to it (you know, that post stoned bloated head feeling), and time going by perceptually a bit faster than my liking, but hey time flies when you're having fun. I just try to stay conscious of the fact that weed has a tendency to make it easy for people to lie to themselves about what its really doing for them.

 

[Thomas Davie]

There's no such thing as a free lunch mate. If you're waking up and getting wasted straight away, that is the worst way to use it. What people often forget is that cannabis is actually a powerful psychedelic that alters your perception of everything and inhibits new memories from forming. Daily use is just about doable, but all day every day fucks you right up.

It does make a big difference what you are smoking/dabbing though. Like smoking an 8% flower all day or smoking a 25% flower all day or concentrates.
Tom

 

[thegreenhand]

Δ9-THC-caused synaptic and memory impairments are mediated through COX-2 signaling - PMC

Marijuana has been used for thousands of years as a treatment for medical conditions. However, untoward side effects limit its medical value. Here we show that synaptic and cognitive impairments following repeated exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

There’s some evidence that taking an NSAID (eg. ibuprofen) may reduce some of the memory issues associated with weed. Now idk if it’s healthy to be taking OTC pain killers everyday but it may help in a pinch

 

[Jibult]

I've always been a semi-regular weed smoker, but since ~January 2019, I've been smoking every day. Not a lot, about .3g per day. It helps immensely with my depression, awareness, empathy, etc. I'm a musician and I love nothing more than to smoke weed and make music.

The only real issue I've come across is my short term memory has been destroyed. Part of this I think has to do with how weed helps me to focus on a singular task and ignore extraneous stuff in this age of being bombarded with info., but its also just the effects of weed I think. Basically, I can get very focused on a specific task for long periods of time, but on the flip side I'll forget about stuff I need to remember.

Seems to be a common issue, any tips/tricks to deal with it? I notice its not as bad if I skip wake & baking, but I still have trouble keeping track of less-important-but-still-need-to-remember if I don't write EVERYTHING down

I honestly don't think a ~.3g/day habit for just over a year is having any noticeable effects on your memory.

My sneaking suspicion, which is completely unfounded but it's there nonetheless, is that you're going down a path that your genetics have set you on and your drug habit may've been a catalyst for. I'm curious, how old are you? Do you have any family with a history of mental illness, especially as it relates to memory degradation? And if so, how old were they when the effects became apparent? You don't even have to answer these questions, brutha, it's just something to ask yourself. I'm not trying to pry into anything, for real.

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

I feel you Hilipsilo. If all else fails you might try doing what I do, keep a todo list - be it a sheet of paper or your phone/computer. I'll say it out loud too.

It may be a stopgap measure but maybe it will help in practice. The more senses you invole in memorizing something the stronger the impression will be in the memory, at least that's what I've experienced.

 

[mrsmokeweed]

Get high and play lumisoty! But for real, what's the rest of your health life like? Taking any supplements? If so, what?

 

[Pinehurst]

Yeah, that's part of smoking weed. Shit man, I even forget to write things down, you've got that at least

 

[JackARoe]

I think because weed brings you into the moment more thoughts go flying over your head. I think it is the short term recall that is suspended, not broken. I know I can eventually remember what I was going to say so it is recall. And I noticed at work and other places people that never smoked weed could be talking to me, then stop and say I forgot what I was about to say. And I know we have all walked into a room and wondered what the hell we were going to do. I think in that case a person is consumed with thoughts and the reason why they entered the room is flying up over their head. lol The easiest way for me to remember what I came into the room for is to go back to where I was and see what I thought I had just needed.

None of this in my mind is brain cells but focus. I do not think a cell can hold a memory. Hell our body cells are different from the ones we had a few years ago. So the short term memory lapse to me has to do with what we are focused on at the moment. (JMO)

Being fully present in consciousness is the goal of some meditation and zen practice.

 

[Jibult]

Yeah, that's part of smoking weed. Shit man, I even forget to write things down, you've got that at least

ay, I swear to God I was just coming here to say that. And not just notes and reminders, either, like... if there's things that you need to commit to longterm memory (lists, phone numbers, you know... just complex shit) then write them down repeatedly. Copy it over and over, and then write it down without copying anything over and over. Not non-stop, just do it for like 20-30min at a time, several times a day.

This shit has helped me immensely with the massive amount of new work knowledge hitting me this week, despite my fucking horrible short-term memory.